


Dreams Of The Future

by Moonbeam (luvsbitca)



Series: Giving Something To You [1]
Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: After the battle, Books, Gifts, Kissing, Knitting, M/M, courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-03-27
Packaged: 2017-11-29 04:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsbitca/pseuds/Moonbeam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the battle Ori sets himself to making Dwalin a thank you gift with a surprising consequence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Spoilers –** End of the book though this is an alternate ending.  
>  **Disclaimer –** I don't own anything, just a poor relief teacher/uni student. But oh the fun that could be had if I did.
> 
> I just couldn't resist – Dwalin/Ori is settled into my brain now, I blame tumblr, so I had to write this. I hope someone enjoys it :)  
> It is Valentine's Day here so consider this my gift, I hope you enjoy.

**Dreams Of The Future  
** by Moonbeam

**/ / / Ori \ \ \**

Ori checked the final row of knitting as he began to cast off. He was very proud of this jumper. During the journey, when he could, he would knit and then give the scarves or caps to the other members of his company. Bilbo had a lovely blue and green scarf, Nori and Dori had come on the journey with enough to not need more and Bifur had taken such a shine to the multi-coloured scarf and hat that Ori had started in Bilbo's hobbit-hole that fateful night that Ori had given it to him. Bifur rarely took off the scarf and hat when Ori had finally finished them and was able to gift them to the dwarf.

After the battle, when everything had settled, Thorin saved on the battlefield at the last moment by Bilbo who appeared suddenly and like magic in the middle of the fight. Fíli and Kíli were able to stop the orcs that were about to kill the King with the help of Bilbo and his Sting. When it was all finally over and they were tending their wounds Ori had started to knit again, having purchased a little wool, and needles, from the Men of Lake-town. This time he had a specific person in mind as he started, with his dark red wool which he twinned in with some very pale cream wool.

Ori had lost track of his brothers in the battle, though they had both survived, and Ori had been left to fighting almost alone. Then with a great war cry Dwalin had appeared next to him and they fought together. When everything was done Ori had decided that there were just no good ways to thank the dwarf for protecting him. So he set to showing everyone his appreciation but making something for Dwalin.

Ori had been coddled and protected and kept from many things by his brothers and other family members. But Dwalin, while saving his skin a couple of times, had stood at Ori's side instead of trying to remove him from the battlefield. Ori had fought hard, been injured, and had even protected Dwalin when he could but most importantly the entire time he was facing the orcs he didn't once feel like he was too young, or not strong enough or 'too _artistic_ to be of any use on a voyage to reclaim Erebor' or anything else that he had been told in his life. For most of their journey Nori and Dori had been keeping Ori behind them while everyone else was in front. When they did what they always did Ori followed suit; he retreated into books and drawings and set himself to chronicling their journey.

While all around him had been set to being in charge of the great task of rebuilding Erebor Thorin had pulled Ori aside and shown him the great library, some books burned, some simply damaged, though most were simply dusty and in need of love. Thorin had set Ori and Bilbo to the task and together they were restoring the Great Library of Erebor.

Ori had been given his own room and each night, after they ate, he would return to it and set his mind to the task of creating something for Dwalin. He wished it was more, he wished it was something that could show all the beings of Middle Earth that Dwalin was the bravest of dwarves. Ori had never had much skill with metal or jewels and it set him apart from his family, from his kin and all of the dwarves he knew. Dwarves could smell ore they said but Ori had always preferred a bit of fresh air and the company of books and he was better with pen and paper than he could ever hope to be with metal and fire. It was one of the reasons his family were so protective of him, why they tried to convince him not to come on this journey but he had known, always known, that he had to do something or he would always be the odd dwarf in a family of artisans. The dwarves who judged him and called him names had always been in the minority but they had always been so very vocal.

The damage of Smaug was mostly confined to the left over carcasses of his meals and the soot covered rocks but the dwarves of Erebor were returning and one day the mountain would be as it once was even if Ori had only ever known the Blue Mountains as home. Ori's mother remembered and it was for her that he had come, for her, to make her proud and to prove that he was a dwarf of worth. He had and she was coming, coming to the home she had sung about and wished for, and he had been a part of the fellowship that gave it to her.

Ori laid out the jumper when it was done. Mostly dark red with a light twist of cream throughout it, he hoped that Dwalin would like it because the colour made him think of Dwalin. He had had so very much trouble making sure it would fit without letting everyone know what he was doing. Ori knew his brothers would not approve, they would tell him just to say 'thank you' and he knew that there were no greater gossips than Bofur and Bombur. Ori didn't want Dwalin to know until he was done, so he had stolen Dwalin's mail…just for a little while so he could measure it and then he had given it back and he was very sorry that Dwalin had yelled at all those dwarves about stealing it.

Ori folded the jumper and wrapped it within a large piece of paper that he had drawn on, the battle scene with Ori and Dwalin fighting together so that the other dwarf would know exactly what the gift was for. Ori took the parcel and snuck through the corridors careful to not be seen by anyone. He tried Dwalin's door but no one was there and he knew that Dwalin's room was booby trapped after the chainmail went missing. He propped the package against the door and turned to find Bilbo standing there watching him, the hobbit smiled gently and turned, walking away as though he had never seen anything and Ori was thankful that the hobbit had been the one to find him as he was the only one likely to keep his secrets.

Ori thought he might hear something at dinner…nothing.  
He thought he might hear something after dinner so he stayed in his room…nothing.  
Ori waited for two whole days and he heard nothing, he decided that Dwalin must have hated the jumper but then on the third day he walked into the eating hall at lunchtime to see Dwalin sitting and eating wearing his jumper. Ori smiled at Dwalin who nodded his head and returned to his lunch.  
Bilbo didn't say anything when Ori sat across from him with a great grin.

Ori returned home that evening to find a large bouquet of wildflowers sitting on his table and beneath it was a jewel encrusted, gold box. Inside was a jar for ink and a little hinged hair bead. Ori sat down heavily on the chair…he hadn't meant the jumper to be an overture of courting intentions but…oh what a lovely thought, Dwalin, tall and broad and amazing and interested in him! Ori had assumed he would never attract the attention of anyone since he was an odd dwarf but the tattooed, battle-hardened Dwalin was making an offer and Ori was so utterly pleased. He went to his great basket of wool – a new purchase, and collected the cream and red, this time the red would be sprinkled through the cream instead. He set to making a scarf and hat; he would have to hurry so that he could repay the intention within the set three days.

Ori settled and was so very happy that he whistled while he worked.

**/ / /**


	2. Dwalin

**/ / / Dwalin \ \ \**

Dwalin pulled his jumper on – the wool was soft against his skin, and then his chainmail on top. He still wasn't sure why someone stole it but when he found out who did it they were going to have words. Dwalin flexed his fists…hard, bloody words. Dwalin did not like people touching his things.

There was a knock at the door and Dwalin yanked it open when he was finished securing his leather wrist braces. Dori and Nori stood on the other side. Dwalin wasn't surprised; when he had decided to take the chance and gift Ori with something that made it clear he would like to court the other dwarf he suspected he would be getting a visit from Ori's older brothers.

They talked, they explained, they threatened – ha! And they pleaded; he was to leave Ori alone.

"No," Dwalin said when they were done. "He made a choice so unless Ori tells me to leave him alone I don't care what you, either of you, have to say about this."

The brothers glared, and threatened again…making Dwalin laugh, before they finally left him alone.

Dwalin finished getting dressed and adding his various hidden weapons, he didn't need his war hammer in the mountain but that didn't mean he would ever go anywhere unarmed. The last thing Dwalin put on was the ear cuff that perfectly matched the hair bead that he had made Ori. He did not wear hairbeads as he did not have hair in the places they were traditionally worn but he was a dwarf and he liked his metal adornments.

Dwalin suspected that Ori had not intended his jumper to be a full courting gesture but Dwalin took the opportunity that the younger dwarf had given him.

Dwalin had never met Ori before their journey began but as their journey progressed he spent more time with the historian. Ori had never been to Erebor, born just over seventy years after the mountain fell. Dwalin, like Ori, was something of a late arrival to his family. Unlike Ori, who embraced his brain, Dwalin had taken the fact he was smaller than his brothers, and younger, and turned it to his advantage; for a long while he used his smaller size against others and when he finally grew into his size he knew how smaller beings fought. Now, he was the biggest and the scariest with his life laid out in tattoos and was known for being King Thorin's head of security. Ori wasn't inclined to fight, though he fought well, he focussed on history and knowledge and as they had travelled Dwalin had been able to see two things, an adult who was trying to prove he wasn't a child to siblings who only wanted him to be safe and an infinitely smart dwarf. Dwalin hadn't known him before the journey but Ori was a similar age to Fíli and Kíli and Dwalin remembered well the way the brothers had gone about proving their transition from dwarfling to adult dwarf. Thorin had always been protective of his nephews, and Dwalin as his trusted guard had seen to their safety too, however unlike Dori and Nori Thorin had wanted his nephews to make that transition. Dwalin could understand the need to protect; he would have laid down his life for a number of the members of the party – and not just the ones who he had expected when it all began. Dwalin wished to protect Ori but he could see that the dwarf was more than capable of looking after himself and deserved the opportunity to live his life without the ever constant guard of his brothers.

Over the length of their acquaintance Dwalin had developed a soft spot for Ori, though he knew he was too old for the younger dwarf. Dwalin had always been a little selfish and even if Ori hadn't intended the jumper as anything more than a thank you Dwalin was going to take his chance. Dwalin had known many dwarves, and other folk, over the years but no one had ever interested him like the historian with a slingshot. Dwalin had made his overture so Ori had three days to return the agreement and to adorn himself in the bead that Dwalin had given him, if nothing came in that time then Dwalin would return to his strange little friendship with Ori. He would know he had at least taken a chance.

Dwalin opened the door to find Ori staring at him with shock. Ori was half bent over with a parchment covered parcel about to be left next to Dwalin's door. Dwalin smiled down at Ori who had frozen when the door opened, Ori squeaked and handed Dwalin the package.

"You didn't knock," Dwalin said holding the package firmly.

"I wasn't sure if you would prefer that I kept this a secret as you left mine in my room," Ori said flushing a little.

"I don't think you meant this jumper for courting," Ori darkened again. "If you don't want more you could have ignored it."

"This is for courting," Ori said. "I would very much like to get to know you better."

Dwalin lifted his eyes and saw the bead displayed proudly in Ori's hair. "Dinner tonight?"

Ori nodded. "I would like that."

Dwalin nodded and began to open the package.

"You don't have to, I mean, if you don't, you don't have to wear them," Ori said frowning at Dwalin.

Dwalin pulled from the package a knitted beanie and scarf in cream with red to match his sweater, he immediately pulled the cap on and smiled down at Ori. "Thank you."

"There is…" Dwalin pulled out a small book from the package. "…more."

Dwalin opened the cover of the book; it was a book of Men and their weapons with detailed drawings and information about their construction and training techniques.

"I found it down in Lake-town," Ori said quickly. "I have never been very good with metal but I saw it when Bilbo and I were getting some supplies and I thought you m-"

Dwalin kissed the shorter dwarf to make him stop talking. "Thank you," he said when he pulled away. "I like it a lot."

Ori beamed at him and pushed closer for another kiss.

"I'm glad you opened the door," Ori said when he pulled back from Dwalin, his lips red.

"As am I," Dwalin said. "Come in?"

Ori nodded. "I have something to tell you."

"Yes?"

"I broke into your rooms and stole your chainmail," Ori said twisting his fingers. "I know you have started booby trapping the room and wanted to tell you the truth."

"Why?" Dwalin said with a frown.

"So that your jumper would fit," Ori said with a shrug. "It seemed like a good idea, I am sorry."

"It fits very well," Dwalin said. "I yelled at Kíli about that too, he will have deserved it for something else if not for the mail."

Ori's face relaxed a little but it was obvious he was still worried so Dwalin pulled him in for another kiss until Ori was relaxed against him. Ori's arms were tight around Dwalin and he kept a firm grip when Dwalin tried to move away ensuring that the taller dwarf had no choice but to kiss him again.

They were both late to their duties, and had missed breakfast, and yet neither of them minded at all.

**/ / /**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will remain **COMPLETE** on the status bar however there may be more (definitely one more bit) but I'm not going to guarantee anything and this won't be at all linear, it will jump around though hopefully all forward.


	3. Moments

**/ / / Moments \ \ \**

Bilbo walked into the library early one morning and made it no further than the door.

Thorin had had to travel down the mountain towards Lake-town for a meeting with Bard and the Master of Lake-town and he had woken Bilbo early, to their mutual enjoyment. Bilbo normally didn't wake too early, he was still a hobbit even if he was living with the King Under the Mountain, and had no choice once he was awake but to get up, make some tea and a nice big breakfast for them both. With Thorin gone he'd had no option but to get to work, he and Ori had made a great deal of headway in the library…though they were both also spending a great deal of time reading the books.

Bilbo went into the library with a plate of orange biscuits, enough for he and Ori to have elevenses, and stopped short at the moan he heard as soon as he walked through the door. Bilbo looked around the library and saw Ori pressed into a shadowy corner of the library, one of the sections that was done and dust free though a few of the books were now scattered on the floor. Dwalin's large, muscular frame was pressing Ori into the shelves, one of his legs curled around the back of Dwalin's knee.

Bilbo backed out of the room and left them to it, it was really only fair since Ori had backed out of the room in a similar way a couple of times when Thorin had come to surprise Bilbo at lunch, at dinner time, just because…Ori had been forced out of the room a lot actually. Bilbo whistled as he walked away, he decided to go back to his room and read for a while, long enough for Ori and Dwalin to be done.

/ \ / \ / \

Nori and Dori grumbled as they folded furs and packed up the bits and pieces that Ori had in his room. Ori told them not to touch the metal box of things that Dwalin had made for him, full of beads for his hair and beard, rings and one item that Ori had made sure was hidden in Dwalin's room so that his brothers never saw it.

"I love him," Ori said knowing that they wouldn't like it any more than they had the first time he told them…after they had again tried to talk Dwalin into leaving him alone. They had been utterly speechless while Ori had told them, quietly, surely, firmly that he and Dwalin were going to do whatever they wanted.

_Dwalin is too old for you. Dwalin is too rough for you. Dwalin won't take care of you. Dwalin won't understand you. Dwalin won't care that you write so well and draw so nicely, he only cares about his weapons and violence. Ori you are too important to us to let you go off with him. Ori we are only trying to protect you. Ori you don't know what a dwarf like Dwalin is going to be after._

They had grudgingly accepted that nothing they said was going to change Ori's mind, he had fallen in love with Dwalin over time and told them as much when they wouldn't stop trying to interfere. They didn't like Ori dating Dwalin, they didn't like it when they saw the couple in the eating rooms or in the great room they had for recreation. Ori had tried to be nice to them; he had tried to hold back a little from Dwalin, who wasn't particularly affectionate in public – the complete opposite of how he was in private. In the end Ori decided they would have to deal with it because he didn't want to pull away when Dwalin would allow his fingers to slide between Ori's and he wanted to sit close enough that the whole length of his thigh was pressed into Dwalin's and their arms brushed while they ate. Ori didn't like to upset his brothers but they refused to see how happy Ori was with Dwalin so they would have to get used to it.

Dwalin and Ori had been involved for months, over two seasons and yet when Ori told his brothers he was giving up his chambers and moving in with Dwalin – who had a vast and impressive collection of weapons that he had displayed in his sitting room, though he also had a rather impressive looking sword mounted above his bed. Dwalin had asked Ori to live with him, had gone out of his way to make sure that Ori would be comfortable there and yet still Nori and Dori refused to be happy for him. The worst part was that Ori could understand, he had been scared of Dwalin when they first met and Ori knew that neither of his brothers could understand the changes in their youngest sibling. Ori knew it would be even worse when the rest of Thorin's subjects came from the Blue Mountains – their mother with them. Even knowing all of that Ori was happy, he was happy with Dwalin – who occasionally did things that annoyed him, and he wouldn't give the other dwarf up for anything.

Ori kept packing up his belongings and tried his hardest to be glad they were at least helping him even if they didn't agree with his choices. Dwalin arrived at the door just a few minutes after they sorted the last of his belongings. Thorin, Bilbo, Bofur and Glóin were standing behind him and as a group they moved Ori into Dwalin-no **their** room.

Nori and Dori dragged Ori out of the room when all of his boxes were moved and everyone else had accepted Ori's small gifts of thanks and left.

"Ori," Dori started. "We just want you to be happy."

"I am," Ori said immediately.

"We know," Nori said grudgingly. "It's not going to make me like the dwarf who arrested me."

"You stole things."

Nori nodded. "Listen, we have talked."

"We have agreed," Dori said laying a hand on Ori's shoulder. "That so long as you are happy and he is kind to you then we will be supportive."

"But we'll be watching him," Nori said. Dori elbowed him. "We just want you to be happy."

Ori threw his arms around his brothers and hugged them tightly. "Thank you."

Dori hugged him tightly and kissed his youngest brother on the head. "I don't know what Ma is going to say."

Ori shook his head. "She won't be here for a long time yet. We might be married by then."

Nori groaned.

"Goodnight," Dori said and dragged Nori away from the room.

Dwalin opened the door and tugged Ori back inside.

"Did you hear them?" Ori asked between kisses even though he knew he should be unpacking.

"Finally got the message," Dwalin said leading them to the bedroom.

"I need to unpack," Ori protested even as he pulled his own shirt off and threw it onto one of the boxes.

"Later."

Ori kissed Dwalin in agreement and a very long while later they began to unpack the boxes.

/ \ / \ / \

Dwalin grumbled as he stalked through the halls, Thorin had asked him to leave the training rooms after the third dwarf had been knocked unceremoniously to the ground struggling to get up when he had been sparring with them. Thorin had accused him of being in a bad mood because Ori was off on a buying trip with Bofur and Óin for a couple of days, as though the King didn't get in a snit every time Bilbo went off to help the Men with their farming.

Dwalin pushed his door open sharply and stomped into the room and then stopped, there was a small cloth rucksack on the floor. Ori's rucksack. Dwalin strode into the bedroom to find Ori walking out of the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips. Ori's hair was out and he was still a little wet with drops of water falling from the tips of his hair down to the cream skin of his chest.

Dwalin took a step towards Ori intending to shove his chosen one onto the bed and show him how much Dwalin had missed him.

"What is that?" Dwalin demanded when he saw something unusual on Ori's arm.

Ori flushed and rubbed his hand down and over his arm. "I lied to you."

Dwalin walked over and gripped Ori's elbow twisting his arm in gently so that he could look at Ori's…tattoo. "A tattoo?"

"Bofur didn't need me on his trip," Ori said. "I wanted to get this and show it to-"

Dwalin dropped his shoulder, collected Ori and didn't stop moving until they reached the bed.

A long while later Dwalin traced his fingers along the lines of Khuzdul in the shape of a star on Ori's detailing parts of their journey.

"Why?" Dwalin asked.

"Because," Ori said curling a little closer into Dwalin's warm side. "I love yours, I love that they tell me about you and your life so I wanted something too. Nothing very exciting happened to me until the journey, and nothing extraordinary happened to me until you so I wanted to celebrate it."

"I thought you and Bilbo were going to write books of our journey."

"His words and my pictures but it's not the same," Ori said yawning into Dwalin's skin. "I'm just going to have a little nap."

Dwalin leaned over and blew out the light before he held Ori just a little tighter while they both slept.

/ \ / \ / \

Balin walked into the library looking for his brother, it seemed whenever the King's Advisor needed to find his little brother he was with Ori. Balin smiled, Dwalin was reaching up, on his very tiptoes, to pull books off the shelf and hand them to Ori and Bilbo who were waiting below. Ori was not the tallest of dwarves and only a touch taller than the hobbit so they had obviously convinced Dwalin to helping. Not that it would have taken much for Ori to convince Dwalin to help.

Balin watched his brother for a moment. Dwalin was quite a bit younger than he was, had been something of a surprise when their mother was already settling into her grey hair but he had always been Balin's favourite. His youngest brother who had tried so hard to be bigger and stronger than his older siblings. Balin had worried, as Dwalin grew harder and stronger and more willing to push everyone away that he would never find someone to care about. Balin himself had known a dwarf, a very, very long time ago when Erebor had been their home before the dragon, and though she lost her life he had the love he remembered, and still felt, to hold him tight when he became lonely. Dwalin had never had anyone – had been a warrior with no one to come home to at the end of the night. It warmed Balin's heart to know that his brother had found someone to care about and it was so obvious to Balin how deeply his brother cared for Ori. It made Balin a little sad to see Ori's brothers so focussed on protecting him that they couldn't see that there was nothing to protect him from.

Balin had never known that his bother favoured male dwarves…or that he would ever end up with someone like Ori who didn't fight and wasn't particularly fierce or outspoken. In so many ways Ori appeared to be the exact opposite of Dwalin and yet Balin was so happy that his brother had found the artistic dwarf because they seemed to encourage the hidden personality traits in the other. Ori had been showing his inner strength and Balin had seen his brother smile occasionally, chat to people around the mountain who he would barely have grunted at before and it wasn't at all strange to see him walking around with a piece of knitted clothing – displayed with as much pride as his weapons.

"Sorry to interrupt," Balin said finally. "Dwalin, you are needed for a meeting."

Dwalin nodded and grabbed the last few books. He handed them to Bilbo who quite obviously turned away from them giving Dwalin a chance to pull Ori in for a kiss, Balin turned away from the scene as well with a smile and waited outside of the doors for his brother.

**/ / /**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very tired but this has managed to come together over the last few days and now I'm posting it. Today was insane - I woke up to thunderstorms and at lunchtime it was over 40 degree celcius...still very hot. Enjoy...


	4. Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the TEEN/PG/Whatever else version of this chapter – there is a very adult version called ['Right In This Moment'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/700637) which can be found through the link or through my author page. Enjoy. I never meant this to be soooooooooooo long. (Adult versions 7 and a half thousand *thud*).
> 
> POV jumps around horridly in this but I am not at all apologetic :)

**/ / / Anniversary \ \ \**

Today Dwalin had plans. He had organised a nice meal and had even cleaned up their chambers, he had bribed Bilbo into cooking them a meal as Dwalin had no skill with food – that was Ori's speciality. The meal was cooking in their little kitchen oven, he had a small keg of mead and a bottle of wine – that Bilbo had insisted upon. Bilbo had also bought him candles though Dwalin had gone down into the forest and collected the wildflowers himself. There was a present resting against Ori's plate and Dwalin had made sure the bed was made and the things they would need were next to it. He had told Thorin not to expect them to work tomorrow.

The dwarves had had celebrations for the anniversary of reclaiming the mountain, and a memorial for those who had fallen. Dwalin had been there, silent and standing behind Ori who had stood with a bowed head and a sad expression. They had attended the celebrations together as well. Dori and Nori had looked almost accepting of his presence next to Ori. Ori had drunk too much, curling into Dwalin's side as he told stories with the other members of their company and laughed quietly into Dwalin's neck. Ori rarely drank that much but he was a happy, and extremely affectionate drunk, and Dwalin had curtailed his own drinking so that he could enjoy it. That night they had been forced to stop more than once on the walk home and Dwalin had had to collect all of his will power to pull Ori's hand from his trousers and mouth from his neck until they were once again alone in their room, then Dwalin had let Ori do whatever he wanted.

Dwalin hadn't even thought about an anniversary for them until Thorin appeared one morning with a large red hickey on his neck, a brand new jacket and a slight hitch to his steps. His king had disappeared again well before lunchtime and Ori told him later that Bilbo had planned their anniversary celebrations for the night before, and that the king had come to collect Bilbo before elevenses so that they could go and continue their celebrations. Dwalin wouldn't have even thought about it, he would have passed the day as he passed every other – waking with Ori curled into his side and going about his business until he could see Ori again and they could spend the evening together. It wasn't the most exciting Dwalin's life had been and yet it was the **best** his life had ever been. When he realised that Bilbo had overcome Thorin's innate distance from his feelings only a week or so before Ori had given him the jumper…one of many that Dwalin now owned, he had decided to do something to celebrate having Ori in his life. Then Dwalin had realised he had no idea what to do so he had had no choice but to seek out Bilbo's help. The hobbit had been helpful…and completely refrained from gloating which surprised Dwalin until he remembered that Bilbo was in a relationship with Thorin.

The hobbit had helped him to plan everything he would need and had kept Ori late at the library so that he could get organised.

Dwalin would have questioned his own motives once, all this effort for a night that was honestly no different to the one before or the one after but Dwalin would do this, and more, to ensure that Ori smiled and knew he was loved. Dwalin checked everything once more and felt a little swell of arousal knowing how the night was going to end. He loved Ori touching him any way the other dwarf wanted to but tonight he wanted something very specific, he hoped that Ori would be enthusiastic for his plans as well.

Dwalin wasn't nervous going into battle. With his war hammer in hand he had nothing to worry about and he had survived every battle he had ever been in. He didn't like to admit that waiting for Ori did make him a touch nervous. Luckily, seconds later the door opened and Ori stepped in.

"Sorry Dwalin," Ori said as he closed the door with his back to the room. "Bilbo said he was having trouble with the...oh," Ori looked at Dwalin standing somewhat awkwardly next to their table. "I knew that he knew where the writings from Durin XXIV went. You remembered?"

Dwalin shrugged. "I thought you might like it."

Ori smiled widely and walked over to Dwalin, pulling the taller dwarf down for a kiss. "I got you something but I wasn't sure if you would want to celebrate an anniversary."

Dwalin kissed him again. "Bilbo helped with the meal."

"He did have a very long lunch. I just assumed he and Thorin had eaten together. You did a lot of planning."

"I like having you in my life," Dwalin said awkwardly as though that explained everything.

Ori beamed at him and pulled away. He opened the smaller of the two chests that sat next to their large bookcase. The larger one held Dwalin's weapons - the ones that were used regularly rather than the very old and intricate ones that decorated the sitting room. Ori dug down below half made scarves and socks until he felt the course fabric he had used to wrap Dwalin's gift. He pulled it out with some difficulty and turned.

"I got this for you, I hope you like it." Ori held the heavy gift out and bit at his lip while Dwalin lifted it with a surprised look at Ori when he weighted the item.

"I'm sure I will love it," Dwalin said. "I wasn't expecting anything."

Ori nodded. "I wanted to get you something, I didn't think you'd think it was an important thing to celebrate but I am so very happy that we are together and I wanted to do something so that you knew."

Dwalin put the gift down on top of the chest and pulled Ori further into the room. "Dinner won't be ready for another half hour, would you like to bath? Or have a glass of wine?"

Ori tugged on Dwalin's hand. "I'll bath and you can bring the wine."

"I have already bathed," Dwalin said even as he allowed himself to be dragged by Ori into the bathroom.

"So?" Ori threw over his shoulder as he took off his jacket.

Dwalin left to get them each a drink – a mug of mead for himself and a glass of wine for Ori who was naked and sinking into the bathtub when he returned. Dwalin settled on the chair next to the tub and handed Ori his drink.

"This is very nice," Ori said taking small sips as the room filled with steam.

"I got it in Lake-town," Dwalin said shifting on his seat.

"Thank you, you know how mead goes to my head," Ori put the glass down and began to soap himself up with Dwalin watching avidly. Ori looked at Dwalin with a shy smile and held out the cloth. "Would like to help?"

Dwalin groaned, put his mug on the floor and stripped off his clothes before settling into the bath with Ori, he was glad he'd turned the oven off when he'd gone to collect their drinks.

/ / / \ \ \

"Love you," Dwalin whispered into Ori's ear. They soaped one another up thoroughly and rinsed off before Dwalin curled a thick towel around Ori and rubbed himself dry quickly. He redressed in the softer, lighter clothes they wore around their chambers while Ori took his time drying and then dressing in his own soft, worn in clothes. Dwalin loved to see Ori like this, the clothing would be what they would wear to bed if they ever made it to sleeping with anything on and Ori always looked just a little rumpled in his – the shirt one he had stolen from Dwalin and had worn into softness. Seeing Ori in his clothes always made Dwalin smile with pleasure.

Ori walked out of the bathroom and into their bedroom, the table was set in their sitting room but Ori walked over to the couch before the fire in the bedroom and sat down. He ran the towel over his head and got the worst of the water out. He looked back at Dwalin who was still standing between the bathroom and the chair.

"Come sit."

"Dinner is ready," Dwalin said and Ori smiled brightly, as he looked back down to his hands he saw the table by the bed "I see, you do have plans."

Dwalin's eyes followed Ori's to the pouring bottle of oil and the basin of water. "I want you to take me tonight, Ori."

Ori looked at him sharply. "You want…really?"

"We've done it before," Dwalin said.

Ori flushed and nodded. Dwalin could see that even with the orgasm in the bath his pants were a little tight over the crotch.

"Dinner," Dwalin said with a firm nod. He walked through the large double doorway back into the sitting room and then to the kitchen. He pulled the meal out of the oven and walked it to the table before the fire, Ori was watching him from the door into the bedroom and Dwalin let himself smile at Ori as he travelled back into the kitchen twice more to collect the rest of the food. Dwalin stood next to the table and lit the candle but still Ori hadn't walked over to the table.

"What's wrong?"

Ori smiled as he walked over slowly. "You did all this for me?"

Dwalin nodded.

"No one has ever done something like this for me," Ori said curling his hand around Dwalin's jaw. "There has never been anyone, in my whole life, that has ever done something like this for me. I don't understand why…"

Dwalin sat on one of the chairs and pulled Ori onto his lap. "When I saw what Bilbo and Thorin had done I wondered if you would like that, you are sweet and you pay attention to things like this. You baked me a cake for my birthday and let me tie you to the bed with those leather straps. Aüle, I wanted to drag you back to the room every time I saw those marks on you," Dwalin shook himself. "I did this because you deserve to know that I am very glad, every day, that you are in my life. Sometimes I'm not good with words and I wanted you to know."

Ori smiled shyly and kissed Dwalin. "You are very good with words."

"Dinner," Dwalin said reluctantly and pushed Ori from his lap.

"Yes," Ori said. "Then I have plans for you, such plans."

Dwalin smiled and they settled down to eat, Bilbo had done an amazing job – along with very clear instructions for Dwalin. They had roasted beef and crunchy roast vegetables, there was something in a white sauce and fragrant carrots with roasted nuts tossed through. Dwalin and Ori served themselves great helpings of food and they ate, chatting about silly things – nothing very important but it was comfortable and for great spaces of time there were no words at all just the quiet comfort of being together. They finished eating and Ori pushed Dwalin through to the couch in their bedroom.

"I will clean up, would you like another mug of mead?"

Dwalin shook his head. "Not at the moment," he kissed Ori and left him to it only because Ori could be utterly stubborn when he wanted to be.

Ori joined Dwalin a few minutes later, curled into his side rather than use the rest of the couch and Dwalin lifted his arm to pull Ori in close. "You need to open your present."

"I thought you were my present," Ori said kissing Dwalin's neck.

Dwalin settled into Ori's touch even though he desperately wanted to know what Ori had bought for him.

"Very well," Ori said pulling away. "We'll open our presents."

"If you like," Dwalin said handing Ori his gift and grabbing the heavy wrapped item that Ori had given him earlier.

Ori smiled and Dwalin watched as Ori slowly unwrapped the parchment around the wooden box. Inside was a thick, leather bound book with blank pages, along with a jewel studded hair bead, and a set of expensive, and hard to obtain, coloured inks from the North. Dwalin watched as Ori pulled each item out of the dark wooden box, which could now hold anything Ori wanted it to.

"This is too much," Ori said turning the inks over. "I have never seen some of these coloured inks before."

"They come from the North, apparently they are very good."

"I have heard of these," Ori said with shock. "They are supposed to be almost impossible to obtain."

Dwalin shrugged. "I know beings from all over Middle Earth and I thought you would want them for your book."

Ori's eyes turned warm and soft. "They are perfect, thank you. It's all perfect, it's so much more than," Ori turned and yanked Dwalin down for an open mouthed kiss. "I love you."

Dwalin nodded his head once and sat back, he still wanted to know what Ori had given him but being able to watch Ori enjoy his gift was more important. Then, abruptly, Ori tucked everything back into the box, along with the cream parchment and stood to place it on the table in the sitting room.

"Your turn," Ori said when he returned, he sat next to Dwalin but turned so he could look at the taller dwarf properly this time. "I really hope you like it, your gift was so…just, please open it."

Dwalin nodded and then began to unwrap his gift. Inside was a curved blade, a strange crescent with a long handle coming down out of the very middle – short and bound with old leather.

"This is an Arvernien blade, where did you find this? They were supposed to have all been destroyed."

Ori licked his lips. "When I left to get the tattoo I went to a strange little place to have it done and the…Man was also a peddler of a range of thing. I saw this, buried below other old and forgotten weapons. I recognised it from the weapon books, I had to buy three other swords for the Man to let me have it and I know it's not in good condition but…I thought you might li-" Dwalin cut Ori off, he tugged his partner closer and licked into his mouth until Ori was pliant and panting against him.

"I never thought I would ever own something like this," Dwalin said. "I understand now why it was so heavy. I shall restore it very carefully until it is perfect again."

Ori sighed and smiled. "I'm so pleased."

"What about the other blades?"

"Nothing much but you can have them," Ori said with a smile relaxing back into the chair.

Dwalin wrapped the blade again with care and lifted it to place it in the antechamber, they did nothing with the room but it would be a safe place for the blade for now. He couldn't believe he owned an Arvernien blade – they were said to be the weapons that had killed the first of the goblins. Dwalin closed the door and turned to find Ori standing in the middle of the room.

"Dwalin," Ori said with a small smile. "I would really like to take you to bed now."

/ / / \ \ \

Dwalin pushed Ori onto the clean sheets and following him in. Ori curled into him, dragged Dwalin's arm around him and breathing in the clean scent of his skin as Dwalin tugged the covers over them and they settled together. Ori felt Dwalin's lips on his eyebrow as the room turned dark and they both fell asleep.

**/ / /**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is the VERY short version – the other has a lot of sex and can be found…[HERE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/700637).


	5. Arrivals

**/ / / Arrivals \ \ \**

Dwalin walked out of the training room. He wanted to smile at the pleasant ache from having fought, for practise and fun, with people who knew what they were doing. In the almost two years since they had reclaimed the mountain Dwalin had only been in charge of training and working with the few dwarves that had come from the Blue Mountains at Thorin's request. They were only dwarves with exceptional skills in city building and all of the things that accompanied it. They had been an immense help to the King and his Mountain but few of them were trained at combat. Dwalin was rarely allowed to really use his skills except on days like today.

The rest of the dwarves would be arriving within days. The great caravans lead by Thorin's sister, the formidable Dís. Now that the mountain was habitable again, the food stores built up and the Men of Dale and Lake-town ready to provide food for the hundreds of dwarves who would be arriving Thorin had called his people home. Bilbo had applied his knowledge of food to the forests and valleys around the mountain to keep them fed while the Men had been rebuilding. Dwalin wasn't looking forward to the changes that would be coming in the great training and workout rooms. Rooms that Dwalin had ensured were set up immediately to keep the dwarves arriving ready for any insurgence they encountered now that they had their mountain back. More of the dwarves arriving would be soft and need training to be ready for the challenge that Dwalin was still expecting. Bilbo had developed a good relationship with Men, and elves, and they didn't seem to want to get rid of the dwarves, though dwarves meant income for the Men but Thranduil, and his elves, would always be a threat.

Dwalin shook his head, the dwarves who were here were well trained and Dwalin would get the rest up to his standards, he needed to ensure that the members of his elite guard that he had left in the Blue Mountains to protect the majority of the dwarves were ready as well. Dwalin sighed, the buzz from his sparring with Thorin and Glóin was sinking under the weight of his new official position of Head of the Royal Guard, not that different from what he'd been doing in the Blue Mountains but they had been visitors in someone else's abandoned kingdom rather than having their own mountain to defend.

Dwalin pushed open his chambers door and placed his weapons in the chest, he hung up his fighting over shirt and headed for the bathroom. He sunk down into the hot water and let it work on his tired muscles. Ori wouldn't be back for another hour or so. He and Bilbo had thrown themselves into their book with great pleasure when they had finished with the library. Ori had been given the official role of Royal Historian and Thorin was waiting for the rest of the dwarves to arrive so he could put a crown on Bilbo's head. Dwalin could understand the impulse; he was just waiting for Ori's mother to arrive in the caravans so that he could make their bond more official.

Nori and Dori might end up being a slight obstacle in earning their mother's acceptance; though they were a lot more supportive than they had been in the beginning. Dwalin had known that even though he wasn't going to leave Ori, that he wouldn't do anything to hurt Ori, and that he would lay down his life to protect the other dwarf they still couldn't let go of the last of their worry for a younger brother they loved so dearly. Dwalin didn't like it for Ori's sake but he could respect the desire to protect.

There was a sound in the sitting room and Dwalin tensed. He slid silently up until he was sitting. It could be Ori but he shouldn't be back yet, Dwalin cocked his head and listened.

"It's me, Dwalin," Ori called out and Dwalin allowed himself to relax. It had only taken one time, after they were sleeping together, for Dwalin to react before he realised, Ori in a headlock trying to breathe. Dwalin had apologised, repeatedly, had contemplated ending things – he never wanted to hurt Ori but the younger dwarf had looked at him with soft eyes and told him that he had done nothing wrong. Dwalin had become better, made sure his reactions were faster, but sometimes he still worried that his training might end with Ori being hurt by mistake.

Dwalin listened to Ori walking through their chambers, putting things on the table Dwalin had had made for him to work and draw at, hanging his coat, changing, the sounds were soothing. They allowed Dwalin to rest back against the back of the bath and close his eyes listening to Ori's sounds as he moved around. Eventually the bathroom door opened and Dwalin could smell tea as Ori walked in. He pulled the chair over and placed his tea down but Dwalin didn't open his eyes, he knew that Ori would start talking soon; sharing his day.

"We have finished up to the Goblin stronghold under the mountain," Ori said and Dwalin smiled at the joy in his voice. "I've got a list of illustrations to work on; Bilbo isn't going to be coming to the library for a while. He's helping Thorin get ready for the dwarves that are coming and he thinks it's going to take a long time."

Dwalin nodded and opened his eyes to look at Ori. "I am going to have to start training up the royal guard as soon as they arrive."

Ori smiled at him. "So, we have a few days together before things get busy?"

Dwalin lifted his eyebrow and watched Ori carefully. "Yes."

Ori smiled and stood up. He stripped off, climbed into the bath with Dwalin and kissed him. "Best get started then."

Dwalin laughed and pulled Ori deeper into the hot water to kiss him properly.

/ / / \ \ \

The dwarves had arrived three days ago and Dwalin, and the rest of the dwarves, were just as busy as they suspected they would be. It didn't seem to matter that they had prepared until both Balin and Thorin were happy they still ended up having to work around the clock to settle the dwarves. Ori's mother, being older and having fallen sick on the journey, had gone directly to Dori's room and had decided she wouldn't see Ori's dwarf, as she apparently called him, until she was feeling better. Dwalin knew Ori visited but he did not want to push – he had waited this long to name Ori as his in an official ceremony; he could wait a little longer.

He was glad for the four days they had managed to spend mostly together before the caravans arrived as they hadn't been able to do much more than sleep beside one another since. Dwalin didn't mind but he missed actually waking up with Ori, spending the first few minutes of the day together, and they hadn't had the chance.

/ / / \ \ \

Dwalin was coming back from a training session, the dwarves who had put their hands up to join the Royal Guards were not nearly as incompetent as Dwalin had feared but they would still need a great deal of training to get to the point where they were up to Dwalin's standards.

A group of new arrivals were walking slowly in front of him and Dwalin slowed his steps – if they were not sure where they were going he would be there to help until their paths diverged.

"I can't believe they managed to reclaim the mountain," Dwalin let his lips twitch but he didn't smile, he reserved his smiles for Ori – and his friends occasionally.

The younger dwarf nodded. "My Ma swore up and down they would all just end up dead."

"Especially with little Ori along," one of the others said and the smile fell off Dwalin's face. "He's always been useless; I'm surprised King Thorin even let him go."

The dwarves laughed and Dwalin clenched his fists.

"He couldn't convince anyone else to come probably," one of them said at a whisper. "There was a dragon, you'd have to be nuts to have gone with 'em."

"And yet," Dwalin said, his voice hostile and clipped. "We managed to kill the dragon and reclaim the mountain."

The group spun, looked at Dwalin – who was glaring as hard as he could, he knew he looked menacing but he still enjoyed the thread of fear settling among the group.

"Also, I think you need to rethink your ideas about my partner," he snarled at them.

"Partner," one of them scoffed. "Who? Ori?"

"Yes, Ori," Dwalin said stepping closer. "Who proved himself braver than most on the journey. While you were tucked up safely in your beds listening to your mummies he was with me facing goblins and orcs and great spiders, he faced elves and all manner of things that would make you, weak little dwarves, cry. If you ever, if anyone you know, even a little bit, ever says another word against **my** Ori then you will be answering to me."

The group in front of him nodded.

"I'm assuming that you are the bullies who made fun of Ori's skills."

Dwalin could almost see the reflex of one of them to scoff but the scared little weakling held it in.

"Right, stay away from Ori, or I'm make you the bait at my next Royal Guards training session – down in the elf forest."

They all nodded and Dwalin snarled once more.

"I cannot hear you."

"We'll leave Ori alone," one of them said and the rest followed along like sheep.

"Move," he grunted and stomped past. Dwalin made it a few steps when he saw Nori watching him with a slight frown on his face. Dwalin slowed a little, about to defend his actions when Nori nodded at him. Dwalin returned the gesture and felt something in his chest relax a little. Nori would never like him, hard to like someone who arrested you, but Dwalin knew that Nori now understood. Dwalin continued on past Ori's brother and towards his chamber.

He would keep an eye on that group, make sure that a few select dwarves knew who to watch out for, but he was fairly certain that his intimidation went beyond what Nori or Dori were capable of. If not, he'd have to try a little harder.

Ori was waiting for him when he arrived at their chambers, there was a heavenly smell coming from their kitchen and Ori was whistling as he drew, Dwalin smiled and kissed him.

"What?" Ori said even as he chased Dwalin's lips.

"Love you," Dwalin said and kept going. "Quick bath and the food better be done, I'm taking you to bed."

Ori pulled him back for a kiss. "Aren't you hungry? You had training."

"We are both here, together, right now. Sex then food."

Ori nodded and Dwalin continued on to the bathroom. Ori joined him and they did things in the exact order that Dwalin had suggested.

**/ / /**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be writing RR&R, should be but...this. Enjoy!


	6. Shanis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My practicum is finished and I am **knackered** but I wanted to celebrate so I wrote this, Enjoy...

**/ / / Shanis \ \ \**

A few days after the incident in the hallway Ori's mother had recovered enough to leave Dori's room and said she would visit Ori, and his dwarf, for lunch to see whether her youngest son was being cared for.

Ori had been cleaning since. Dwalin had helped him in the beginning…until the second time that Ori cleaned the kitchen, then Dwalin shook his head and set himself the task of procuring some food items that Ori's mother, Shanis, apparently loved above all others. The third time Ori cleaned the bathroom, while Dwalin was in the middle of bathing, Dwalin pulled his chosen into the warm bath with him and distracted him until Ori admitted that the chamber might be clean enough for her already.

Ori looked at the weapons on the walls later when they were eating dinner.

"Do you want me to take some of them down?" Dwalin asked when Ori's eyes flicked to them again.

Ori shook his head. "I like them; they make me think of you."

Dwalin smiled. "Why do you keep staring at them? If not because you desire them hidden."

Ori licked his lips and looked back to his stew, he had been picking at it rather than eating as he normally would and Dwalin did not like that he could not think of anything to do to make Ori more confident.

"I just wonder," Ori said quietly. "What my mother will think of all the weapons."

Dwalin looked around, he had taken some of his weapons down before he asked Ori to move in with him, but there were still several on the walls. He had endeavoured to make space for Ori in his rooms, there was a bookcase fill of Ori's books, surrounded by the very best of his weapons. The Arvernien blade Ori had given him had pride of place above the fireplace in the bedroom. A large drawing that Ori had done of their company, with the special inks that Dwalin had given him, was above the fireplace in here. It was a large version of the image that graced the front page of Ori and Bilbo's book, which had been very popular since Thorin, with a large smile of pride, had unveiled it in front of all the dwarves. Their chambers were theirs, there were things that reflected each of them and Dwalin loved coming home to the room he shared with Ori but he did wonder if Ori was right and Shanis might see something other than what they did.

"No," Ori said suddenly pulling Dwalin's eyes back to the younger dwarf. "This is our home; she will just have to like it."

"I like it," Dwalin said causing Ori to beam at him.

"I never did thank you for going and finding food for my mum's visit."

"Yes you did," Dwalin said with a frown.

"No," Ori said standing to grab both of their bowls. "I really didn't, I'm just going to put these away."

"You haven't finished eating," Dwalin said with a smile.

"Lock the door and meet me in the bedroom," Ori ordered and ducked into the kitchen.

Dwalin stood, checked the door was locked, blew out the candles, banked the fire and walked into the bedroom to wait for Ori resting against the pillows on the bed.

Ori came into their bedroom with a grin and undressed before he even made it to the bed.

He thanked Dwalin thoroughly.

/ / /

The next morning Ori woke up with a knew without reaching out that Dwalin wasn't in bed with him. That rarely ever happened, only if there was an emergency or when Ori had caught a cold from Bilbo and spent three days in bed with Dwalin bringing him soup whenever he could. He opened his eyes and sat up but Dwalin definitely wasn't in the bathroom; or anywhere else that Ori could see. He climbed out of bed and went looking for his sleeping pants, when he was dressed he walked through their chambers but Dwalin was nowhere to be found. Dwalin tended to wake him when he did have to leave suddenly but he was gone and there wasn't even a note. Ori went back to the bedroom and into the bathroom. His mother would be here for lunch, as today was the day of rest, and Ori would bath and then get ready for his mother.

Ori heard movement in the other room when he was still in the bath. He didn't rush as he finished knowing from the sounds that it was Dwalin. He wrapped a towel around his hips after he'd dried off and walked out to find Dwalin shoving a bouquet of wildflowers into the vase that Ori had held the very first bunch of flowers that Dwalin had ever given him.

"Morning," Dwalin said pulling Ori into him and kissing him thoroughly. "You smell of soap."

"You smell of sweat and hard work," Ori said with a smile and kissed Dwalin again.

"I had some work to do this morning and wanted it done early so that I could help you."

Ori smiled. "You got me flowers."

Dwalin shrugged. "I went down to Dale."

Ori kissed Dwalin again. "You got me wildflowers."

"You like wildflowers," Dwalin said and ducked his head. "I should bath and then I will come and help you re-clean and get ready."

Ori huffed and turned for the bedroom. "I'm not going to re-clean."

"I'm not sure I believe you?"

"Just tidy up a bit," Ori said and dropped his towel.

Dwalin didn't comment and Ori allowed himself a smile before he dressed.

They tidied before Ori went into the kitchen and began to prepare their lunch. He was only halfway through when there was a knock on their main door. Ori rushed from the kitchen and stared at Dwalin.

"They are early."

"They want to catch us on the defensive," Dwalin said. "We will not give them the satisfaction. Come over here," Ori walked over, Dwalin kissed him quickly. "Ready?"

"No."

Dwalin smiled and opened the door. Dori, Nori and a woman who looked quite a bit like Ori only older and shorter were standing on the other side.

Shanis looked up at Dwalin with a glare.

"Mum," Ori said stepping forward to hug her. "This is Dwalin," Ori stepped back and gripped Dwalin's hand tightly. He loved Dwalin, he was going to marry him, he was going to spend the rest of his life with the warrior dwarf and yet…and yet he was utterly terrified that his mother wouldn't like Dwalin either and then he would be fighting the thoughts of all his family instead of just the preconceptions of his brothers.

"Dwalin," Shanis said stepping over and staring up at the dwarf. "You're older than my Ori."

"Yes." Dwalin said bluntly.

"You're a warrior."

"Yes."

"You should invite me in."

Dwalin's mouth quirked a little and he stepped back, Ori held on tight and moved with him.

"Please come into our chambers, Shanis," he said with a slight tilt of his head.

She walked in and looked around. "A lot of weapons."

"I like weapons," Dwalin said with a slight smile.

Shanis looked at him with a grin. "I remember you arresting my son."

"He had stolen something."

Shanis shrugged. "Now you're stealing my youngest son."

Dwalin smiled at her. "I don't think of it as stealing."

"I threw myself at him," Ori blurted out and then flushed. "I mean to say, I knitted him a jumper and…I was the one who, umm, I initiated our courting," Ori finished weakly but he could feel the strong hold Dwalin had on his hand and he relaxed. "He didn't steal me, I went after him."

Ori's mother looked at him and her face softened dramatically. "You love him."

"Yes."

"Nori told me that he was a good dwarf, even if he is so different to you."

Ori turned to his brother in shock. "But you don't like Dwalin."

Nori's eyes left Ori and Ori followed his gaze to Dwalin who didn't seem surprised at all. "Dwalin didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Ori tugged on Dwalin's hand. "What happened?"

"I met some dwarves from the Blue Mountains a few days ago," Dwalin said looking Ori in the eye. "They were rude and I set them straight."

Nori scoffed. "They were the ones who have always been rude to you and Dwalin put the fear of Aüle into them."

Ori smiled. "That's why they rushed away when I saw them yesterday?"

Dwalin nodded once; decisively. "I should hope so."

Ori couldn't help himself, he pulled Dwalin down by the back of his neck and kissed him firmly in front of his family and he did not care at all. Those dwarves had never been nice to him and they had never been shy about telling him how much they disliked him. They were not important; the dwarves, and their opinions, had not been important since the moment that Ori left for the Shire. Even though their opinions didn't matter to Ori it was still so lovely to know that Dwalin had stood up for him.

Dwalin pulled away first.

"I've decided," Nori said. "To accept him if you want to keep living with him. Though I would prefer less kissing."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ori said.

"Right," Shanis said. "If that is decided where is lunch?"

"You're early." Ori pointed out.

"I wanted to catch you off guard."

Dwalin nodded. "I would have done the same, come and sit. I have some honeyed wine for you."

"Good dwarf," she said and went to sit at the table. "Get me a large one."

Dwalin nodded, asked Dori and Nori what they wanted and followed Ori into the kitchen. Ori grabbed his hands as soon as they stepped into the room and pulled Dwalin closer. Ori didn't kiss him, he wanted to but what he really wanted was to wrap his arms around Dwalin and feel the warm weight of Dwalin's arms around him. They had survived, Ori's mother wasn't opposed to them and Dwalin was proving himself more lovely all the time.

"Ori?"

"I love you so much," Ori said. "I am so happy that she likes you, I wouldn't have changed anything if she didn't but…I'm just so pleased that she likes you."

"I love you too," Dwalin said into the braids on Ori's head. "Now, let's get them fed and then we'll relax and enjoy the rest of our day."

"Oh, lovely," Ori said. "Though I do love my family."

Dwalin kissed Ori and started to pull back from him.

Ori lifted himself up onto his toes. "Are we going to tell them about the bonding ceremony today?"

"Whatever you would like, love."

Ori nodded and let Dwalin go. "I think we wait and decide later."

Dwalin got the drinks and then left Ori to his preparations and went back into the sitting room.

/ / /

Dwalin handed the drinks around and settled onto the double chair; leaving room for Ori at his side. Shanis waited only until Dwalin had taken a drink of his mead before she spoke.

"What are your plans with my Ori?"

"I intend to marry him," Dwalin said watching Ori come out of the kitchen so that he could listen in closely.

"Will you have a full bonding ceremony?" Dori asked.

"Or can we convince you to have a small bonding ritual without all that other stuff." Nori continued.

"Of course they are going to have a full bonding ceremony," Shanis said. "They've been living together for two years and they are heroes who reclaimed Erebor; they will have the full bonding ceremony."

Dwalin nodded, Ori wanted a full bonding ceremony and Dwalin just wanted to ensure that everyone knew that Dwalin and Ori were bonded and intended to stay together for the rest of their lives.

"Your anniversary is in a month, you'll marry then, plenty of time." Shanis said with finality.

Dwalin nodded.

"I'll make you a cake," she added.

Dwalin looked at Ori smiling at him from the doorway into the kitchen.

"We'll be married in a month."

"About time really," Ori said with a smile.

**/ / /**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time the WEDDING! *throws confetti*


	7. Courting Ritual - Before

**/ / / Before \ \ \**

_According to dwarfish custom the rise and fall of two moons before the bonding ceremony the soon to be bonded pair would be taken into the houses of their family and would spend those days cleansing the body and creating a piece of adornment for their intended that would be exchanged in the moments just as the moon shone down into the bonding chamber._

Dwalin and Ori spent the hours before they would need to separate curled together on the couch before their fire. Neither of them was looking forward to being separated for two days though Ori was just glad that when it was over he and Dwalin would be bonded and that feeling of 'mine' that he'd been carrying around for two years would be poured into the item they created together as a newly bonded couple.

_A bonding ceremony is held after sundown, when the moon is full and the world is bathed in the same dark light as the heart of a mountain._

Before they settled down onto the couch Dwalin had held Ori in their bed and they had made slow, clinging, love trying to make it last until the next time they would be able to lie together.

_Once a pair is bonded they are provided with metal and gems from their family line, together they shall create a piece of art that symbolises their commitment._

Dwalin and Ori held one another close on the couch, Dwalin was running his fingers along the exposed skin of Ori's back, they had pulled on only their smallclothes and Ori curled almost on top of him. They felt, in the way all dwarves could, the passing of time and Dwalin felt it was going much too quickly.

_A dwarfish courting ritual will be presided over by the highest member of the Court of Royal Advisors._

Balin was the highest member of the Court of Royal Advisors, though now that Bilbo was Royal Consort, and the hobbit looked very fetching in his circlet of rose gold, he was the highest advisor at court. Balin, as a member, the only living member, of the House of In, could not perform his own brother's ceremony. In joyful celebration of both his own recent bonding and the part that both Dwalin and Ori played in reclaiming the mountain Thorin had decided to preside over the ceremony himself. Dwalin had felt a swell of pride at Thorin's honour; he and Thorin had grown up together, though the King was a little younger, and it felt right to have him be a part of their ceremony since his mission had brought Ori into Dwalin's life. It was more than that though, now that Dwalin knew how Ori had been treated before the company and the journey he wanted to drive home the knowledge that Ori was a person of importance and he was held in high regard by the King Under the Mountain. Dwalin believed that Ori deserved to have a king conduct his bonding ceremony and any other honour that could be placed on his shoulders.

_A bonded pair shall create the clothing for their intended to wear on the day of their bonding. No one outside of the bonded pair shall be involved in creating these clothes._

Ori had started creating Dwalin's coat long before his mother appeared in Erebor. He knew that he was going to be bonded with Dwalin regardless of what his mother thought. Ori had sat with Bilbo in the library when they were supposed to be writing and illustrating their book and Bilbo had taught Ori how to embroider with the skill of a hobbit. Ori had gone to Bofur for help spinning some of his treasure into threads of silver and gold so fine that he would be able to embroider the fine coat of thick black fabric he had already made for Dwalin. Ori had spent many hours when he should have been working sewing Dwalin's coat under Bilbo's watchful eye though the hobbit kept his hands well and truly to himself.

Ori loved to knit, he could do it when talking or thinking or anything else but Dwalin had quite a few knitted garments already and Ori wanted him to have something special, something that could then be worn for royal meetings, when Dwalin would stand behind the king as one of his most trusted advisors. The leather pants and soft, cream, cambric shirt Ori had also made had been so simple to finish but the jacket had taken him months to create. The final stitch Ori left until the day he presented the clothing to Dwalin, it was in the cuff of the jacket and Ori knelt before Dwalin to stitch it in. Dwalin had touched the jacket with care, running his fingers along the gold and silver thread twisted into patterns that to Ori's eye covered the history of their relationship. He wouldn't explain it to Dwalin until after their courting ceremony.

Dwalin pulled Ori up and smiled at the work that his chosen had put into his courting clothes. Dwalin didn't say anything but he fully intended to wear something that Ori had knitted for him with the rest of the clothes. He didn't care that it might not suit or that it wasn't something normally worn to a courting ritual Ori had begun their journey with a knitted sweater, and Dwalin had peeled it off Ori the first time they had lain together and Dwalin intended to make it a part of their future as well.

Dwalin had much less skill with material and sewing so the moment he decided to formally bond with Ori…which was about three heartbeats after the first time he kissed the younger dwarf he knew something would have to be done. When they had moved in together Dwalin had gone to his brother, who had smiled kindly and taught him to sew, from scratch. Those first months had been a test of both brothers' patience and the number of times that Dwalin had been forced to unpick or restart his work was more than either brother could count. After a year Dwalin was good enough, just, to sew a very plain pair of pants, a nice blue shirt and a simple black jacket. Dwalin was quite proud of his work but he also expected whatever Ori made to make his efforts look utterly bland. As a result, when Dwalin was finished he set to making gauntlets of gold and silver and then a fine, flexible chainmail of metal that could be worn beneath the plain blue shirt. When the gauntlets were done he sewed them to the jacket and looked at his work. He wished he could do more for Ori but at the very least he had learned to do this for him and put his very best skill into it.

Dwalin knew of many dwarves who let their intended create the clothes for both of them if they had the skills required but Dwalin wanted to do this for Ori. Balin told him that the clothes were spectacular but Dwalin had known his older brother to lie to protect his feelings. In the end none of that mattered since Ori had looked at the clothes and pulled Dwalin in for a long, deep kiss. _Perfect_ , he had called them and Dwalin didn't care if Ori was lying because no one's opinion mattered if Ori was happy with them.

/ / / \ \ \

Ori had not slept. He had laid in bed listening to his brothers snore and he had thought about what would be coming the following evening. He wasn't nervous, he wasn't stressed or worried, but he desperately wanted to see Dwalin and he wished for the time to speed up and get him to the courting chamber. Ori climbed from this bed when he knew the sun was up and set himself to making a large breakfast. He wasn't sure what type of cook Balin was, though he knew how bad Dwalin was, and he wondered if he should get one of his siblings to take a few plates to Dwalin.

"You don't need to feed him," Nori said quietly from the doorway of the kitchen. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and watched his little brother.

Ori smiled at him and Nori knew he had not slept. "I want to; would you take them some food?"

Nori shook his head, he did not understand what Ori saw in Dwalin but he could not ignore the fact that the great, warrior dwarf did obviously make his brother very happy.

"I will take him some food," Nori agreed with a sigh. "If you will make me one of those omelettes."

Ori smiled at him brightly, his dimples deep and reassuring. "Missed them have you?"

Nori nodded. "So very much, little brother."

"There will be one here waiting for you as soon as you return from delivering these plates to Balin and Dwalin."

Nori nodded and left to make his deliveries. Balin opened the door and accepted the plates with a smile and thank you. When Nori returned to Dori's chamber Ori presenting him with a plate full of omelette.

"I do miss living with you little brother."

"I…" Ori blushed.

"You don't have to miss me," Nori said softly. "I can see how much he cares for you so I am happy for you. I saw him defend you against those dwarves who were horrible to you, he didn't have to and yet I saw him scare them with the same ferociousness that he went after orcs."

"I do miss you," Ori said. "But I'm happy with Dwalin and he would have felt the need to defend me, that's who he is."

Nori tipped his head at Ori but didn't say anything else while they both listened to Dori wake and stretch in the other room. They were familiar sounds of age and Dori that made Ori grin at his brother.

"Good thing I made an extra omelette," Ori said.

"Rather," Dori said walking into the kitchen. "I have missed your omelettes."

"Let's sit," Ori said. "I need a distraction, time is moving too slowly."

"Are in that much of a rush?" Dori asked.

"Yes," Ori smiled. "I really am. Is mother coming for breakfast?"

"She said lunch," Dori said. "She said that she is slow to get going in the morning now."

"She just wants a lie in," Nori said with a smile.

The three brothers sat in silence eating.

"You are so calm," Dori said looking at his youngest brother.

"Why would I be nervous," Ori asked. "I've been living with him for years, I have been in love with him for longer and I know I have made the right choice."

Nori and Dori exchanged a look and then smiled at their brother.

/ / / \ \ \

Balin sat back and looked at his brother. Dwalin had bathed already and for the last fifteen minutes, since he had emerged from the bathroom, he had been walking around the room in his smallclothes looking for his 'good' beard comb.

Balin had never seen his brother so nervous. Surely the tattooed dwarf had been nervous in his life but Balin could so easily see it at the moment. Dwalin had barely bothered to pick at his breakfast, delivered by Nori, and Balin had happily eaten it for him when he had tasted Ori's cooking.

Dwalin had woken looking tired and once he had stopped pretending that he would eat he had disappeared into the bathroom. Balin had checked on him twice worried at how long it was taking. Dwalin was still alive but he had sounded more and more stressed each time.

Balin wondered if Dwalin even had a good beard comb but he helped his brother look regardless.

"Dwalin," Balin asked when Dwalin finally found the comb he wanted – the first he had picked up, and was busy combing his beard with fierce focus. "Why are you nervous?"

Dwalin turned to look at his brother fiercely. "I'm not nervous, Ori will be there."

"Of course he will," Balin said with certainty.

Dwalin nodded firmly once and went back to combing his beard. Balin watched him comb and braid and then pull his plaits out and start again. Balin smiled into his tea while Dwalin set a square of hot metal against his shirt. Dwalin dressed in his leather pants and then opened a great chest of knitted garments and started to try them on. The red jumper Balin remembered Dwalin wearing as the first sign of this relationship was sitting on the bed while Dwalin went through all of the other garments. In the end Dwalin put everything away and pulled on his pressed shirt and then the red jumper that Ori had made for him.

"It is a good idea for you to wear that," Balin said with a smile. "I knew something was going on the first time I saw you wearing that."

Dwalin smoothed his hands down the soft wool. "Ori never intended to court me."

"What?" Balin sat forward and looked at his brother honestly surprised.

"He gave me the jumper as a thank you for saving him in the battle, for fighting at his side rather than trying to stop him fighting."

"As his brothers would have done, so you…"

"I gave him a courting gift, hoping that my feelings were returned."

Balin beamed at his brother. "You cared for him already."

"Yes," Dwalin said sitting in front of Balin. "He was captivating, he _is_ captivating."

Balin leaned forward and grabbed his brother's hands. "I cannot tell you how pleased I am to know that. I worried once that you would never find love. To know that you instigated everything makes me even more pleased about this evening."

"Why?"

Balin smiled and looked at his nervous brother. "Because you took such a large risk with your heart and I am so pleased that everything we have lost in our lives did not make you scared to do so."

"I do not scare easily."

Balin could see the sorrow pass over Dwalin's face as he thought of their parents, and their brothers and sister all lost to war or Smaug. "They shall be watching us from the next life."

Dwalin nodded and stood from Balin's side.

Balin continued to sit and watch his brother prepare for his bonding with an overpowering air of nervousness.

**/ / /**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so this kind of got away from me and will now be in three parts, before, during and after (After will be posted in Right In This Moment since it'll be smutty). This was going to be the last chapter but now the next chapter is. Enjoy and let me know what you think.


	8. During - Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone has a lovely Easter weekend, and thank you to everyone who has supported this story. It is now done.

**/ / / During - Bonding \ \ \**

Thorin watched Bilbo standing in his royal finery with the circlet of rose gold that Thorin had placed on his head at their own bonding ceremony with a smile. Thorin was pleased watching him move among the people in attendance until finally the moonlight started filling the room and the House of In began to walk into the bonding chamber from the North, moments later the House of Ri began entering from the South of the chamber.

Thorin could see the nervousness on Dwalin's face until Ori entered flanked on either side by his brothers and being led by his mother. Balin led Dwalin in as the two dwarves walked towards one another. Thorin waited until they were standing on either side of him and watched as Ori and Dwalin's families moved until they were standing behind either Ori or Dwalin.

"It is my very great privilege as King Under the Mountain to preside over this bonding ceremony today following so closely behind my own bonding ceremony," Thorin began in his most booming, formal voice. He watched as Dwalin relaxed now that he was standing before Ori. Thorin let his eyes flick to Bilbo for a second to find the hobbit watching him with a lovely, quiet smile. "The two dwarves who chose to join their houses together today were members of my company, the company that reclaimed this mountain. Very few dwarves will ever be able to understand what we went through as a company and as such it pleases me greatly to see two members of the company who found their chosen ones on our journey; as I did. Not only are two great houses joining today but two dwarves of great importance to Erebor; our Royal Historian, Ori, and the Head of the Royal Guard, and one of my most trusted Advisors, Dwalin choose today to stand in front of all of the dwarves of Erebor and stake their claim on their partner. I am yours as you are mine, all that I have I give to you and all that you have I take from you."

Dwalin and Ori each took a step forward and recited the ancient oath of bonding.

"To celebrate the commitment of these two dwarves they are asked by our ancient customs to create an item to stand in physical place of their affections before any and all who stand in this chamber today and who look upon them until the end of the Dwarves of Erebor. Dwalin, of the House of In, present the item you have created for Ori, of the House of Ri."

Dwalin nodded and turned to Balin who handed him a black wooden box. Dwalin stepped over to Ori and opened the box.

"You're wearing my jumper," Ori whispered looking up at Dwalin with a smile.

"You made it for me," Dwalin said. "Of course I wore it."

Ori beamed and finally looked down at what was in the box, his face froze and he looked up at Dwalin. "It's lovely."

Dwalin tipped his head and Thorin was so pleased he was close enough to be able to hear their conversation rather than sitting on the throne behind him and unable to hear the love and awe in Ori's voice.

Ori gently lifted the object from the box and held it in his hands. Ori slipped the metal onto his wrist and held his arm out to Dwalin who fastened the band around Ori's wrist. Ori looked down at it with a bright smile.

"Thank you," Ori said and popped up onto this toes to kiss Dwalin who reacted by pulling Ori into him for a longer kiss. Thorin bit back a smile and let out a quiet cough to encourage them to stop so that the courting ritual could continue. Ori pulled back and flushed bright red, he dropped his head and Dwalin gripped his chin and lifted the younger dwarf's head until they were looking at one another again. Ori smiled and looked at Thorin.

"Ori, of the House of Ri, present the item you have created for Dwalin, of the House of In," Thorin said in response to Ori's look.

Ori smiled and stepped away from Dwalin to rush to his mother's side. She handed him a pale wood box with an indulgent smile. Ori thrust the box into Dwalin's hands as soon as he stopped before the larger dwarf.

Dwalin opened the box and found inside a long full ear cuff. Dwalin tilted his head down as Ori curved the dusky gold along the shell of Dwalin's ear. When Dwalin stood up Thorin was able to see the tiny spikes along the length of the cuff. Thorin smiled as Dwalin ran a finger around the metal covering his ear.

"Perfect," Dwalin said with a piercing look. Ori beamed.

Thorin waited for the two dwarves to step back again and was pleased to see their reluctance.

"Dwalin," Thorin said calling the tattooed dwarf's attention to him. "Do you promise before your house and Ori's to work hard all the remaining days of your life to ensure that all of the members of your combined houses are safe and looked after as well as promising to remain a loyal and constructive citizen of Erebor for as long as you are able."

"I pledge my life to my bonded," Dwalin said in the traditional response. "To both his house and mine and to the great mountain of Erebor."

Thorin asked Ori the question and received the same response.

"It is a great honour that I have been asked to preside over this courting ritual and in my role I now bond Dwalin and Ori together and through them I bind together the Houses of Ri and In until the end of Erebor." Thorin vowed silently that the end of Erebor would not come while any member of his family had blood in their veins. He had not worked so hard to ever lose this mountain again. Bilbo gave him a reassuring smile as he caught the hobbit's eye.

Dwalin strode over to Ori and pulled the other dwarf into a fierce kiss. Thorin couldn't help the slight sigh; Dwalin knew they weren't finished and yet he was obviously not able to keep his emotions to himself.

"Now that you are bonded," Thorin said loudly causing the pair to step apart though they did not release their hold on one another. "Your houses have provided metal and gems so that you can create a Creation of Bonding that will adorn your house and show both your skill and love to all who are welcomed there."

Ori and Dwalin nodded and stepped towards the great fire in the corner of the room. As they stood before the fire several members of the congregation left until all that remained were close friends and family as was tradition. Thorin moved directly to Bilbo's side and smiled down at his own bonded partner.

"Lovely," Bilbo said and kissed Thorin. Thorin smiled into the kiss and pulled Bilbo closer.

/ / / \ \ \

Ori grabbed Dwalin's hand and stopped him from looking through the metal and gems they had been given. Dwalin looked at him questioningly.

"We are bonded," Ori said with a bright smile.

"We are," Dwalin agreed.

"You were nervous?"

"I don't know why," Dwalin admitted. "I knew you would be here."

Ori kissed him. "I don't know why but I'm glad."

"Were you nervous?"

Ori shook his head. "I was impatient. Still am, I just want to go back to our room, I want to climb into our bed and hold you. I don't even care if anything more occurs but I missed sleeping next to you."

Dwalin smirked and Ori knew that something more would definitely be occurring as soon as they made it back to their room.

"I love my wrist cuff," Ori said.

"As I love my ear cuff; especially the spikes."

Ori beamed. "Poor Nori had to help me, it took me three attempts."

"Later," Dwalin said. "Let me tell you about the time it took me to make your bonding clothes."

Ori smiled then pulled slightly away. "Right, let's get this made. Then we'll eat and then we can leave them all."

"I shall make something," Dwalin said. "Then you can decorate it with the gems as you see fit."

"You have something in mind?"

Dwalin smirked.

"What are you planning to do?"

Dwalin kissed Ori quickly. "Wait and see."

Dwalin took off his coat and the red woollen jumper before he pushed up his sleeves, put on a long protective apron and set to melting down the metal and shaping it.

Ori loved to watch Dwalin working with metal, sometimes when he knew Dwalin would be down there during his lunch Ori would go down with food and watch Dwalin working while he ate. Dwalin would only stop when there was just enough time for him to eat before Ori needed to return. Ori thought it a fair trade since Dwalin would sit and watch him draw in the evening.

As Dwalin and Ori worked barrels of mead were opened and great roasting spits were set up in the cooking fireplaces. Their friends and family worked at preparing the meal and drink for the celebration that would occur when the Creation of Bonding was finished.

Ori looked back at them and noticed that a number of the dwarves there had already begun to sample the mead.

"We did the same at Thorin's bonding ceremony," Dwalin mumbled as he twisted the molten metal.

"We did," Ori said with a smile in his voice. "We had fun that night."

Dwalin smirked obviously remembering the slightly drunk stumble to the library and the very energetic sex with Ori bent over the library table. He probably was remembering waking up when the door handle wriggled, he would be remembering the laughing dash to redress and clean up the library. Every dwarf in the mountain had been given the day off to celebrate the King's bonding ceremony and Ori and Dwalin had walked back to their chamber wearing the rumpled clothes from the night before where they spent most of the day wrapped up in one another.

"I believe then that we should let them enjoy themselves."

"So long as there is mead left when I'm finished," Dwalin said and Ori turned back to watch him work.

"I will make sure there is," Ori said. He was silent for a long while watching Dwalin work when finally Ori cleared his throat to capture Dwalin's attention whenever the dwarf could spare it.

"Mmm," Dwalin asked as he began to shape clasps for the gems.

"Do you wish that I had greater skill with traditional dwarfish pursuits?"

Dwalin frowned and began to work faster, he pulled back when he was done and looked at Ori fiercely. "Do you wish I was younger or talked more freely?"

"No," Ori said firmly. "You are amazing just as you are; why would I change you."

Dwalin raised an eyebrow at Ori who frowned and rolled his eyes. "It's really not the same thing, if I practiced more I might not be so terrible."

"Do you want to practice?"

Ori thought about it, he did not mind making things for the people he loved but given a choice he would much prefer to draw them something, or create some piece of clothing that reminded Ori of them.

"Exactly," Dwalin said and collected more metal. "Polish that up and then you can decorate it."

Ori nodded and set to work, the heat of the fires forcing him to strip off the jacket Dwalin had made for him while he placed the gems and warmed the metal to secure them in place.

They worked side by side for a long while until Dwalin turned to Ori with a very serious expression and asked him to collect a jug of mead. Ori knew that there was something strange in the way Dwalin asked but he nodded and left to collect a drink.

Balin came to stand next to him when he was pouring the mead.

"Ori," Balin said smiling down at him sweetly. "It was a lovely bonding ceremony, so nice to see two dwarves so in love."

"Thank you," Ori said. "I'm just glad it's happened, we're bonded."

Balin watched Ori fiddle with the wrist cuff that Dwalin had made for him and smiled.

"Of course, now, Ori, I have always liked you lad but there is something I feel honour bound to say to you now that you are bonded with my brother."

Ori turned to Balin and gave the older dwarf his full attention.

"Dwalin is all the family that I have left. I love him more dearly than anything I could ever again know, so, I warn you to treat the gift he has given you of his heart with all the respect and caring that I know you are capable of."

Ori beamed at Balin. "Of course I will, thank you."

Balin frowned. "Why are you thanking me?"

"Because," Ori started and stepped closer to Balin. "You waited until there was no possible way you could 'scare me off' before you said a word, you know your brother better than almost anyone and you know that he guards his heart as he would never guard his body and you know that I would never, ever do anything to hurt him so you waited until we were bonded when most would say something as soon as the courtship commenced. I know that is when my brothers approached Dwalin. Thank you for loving him so much and for trusting me to love him too, it shall be wonderful to have another brother."

Balin laughed and smiled down at the younger dwarf. "I am very glad you are now a member of the House of In, young Ori."

"Me too," Ori said with a smile. "Dwalin asked for mead."

Balin smirked. "I think he might have been distracting you."

"What?" Ori turned and looked at his bonded and found him working furiously at the pieces of metal that he had created to join them together. "What is he doing?"

"I don't know," Balin said. "But give him this, it warms my heart to see him so publicly showing his feelings."

"We are supposed to be making it together," Ori said plaintively. "I've been no help at all."

Balin laughed. "Do you not see Ori, this is an area where my brother excels – he could have been an artisan of great repute if he had not chosen the warrior's life and he strives to show you how he cares with his skill as you do with the coat you made for him."

"I asked Bilbo to teach me to embroider like the hobbits do," Ori said.

"As he asked me to teach him; however you have natural skills with other things, like your drawings, and you use them to show Dwalin that you care for him and he is taking this opportunity to show you that he cares in front of everyone, especially your family."

"Very well," Ori said. "I shall wait but this isn't how it's done."

Balin laughed. "Dwalin has never been a particular fan of how things should be done."

Ori nodded in agreement.

He watched Dwalin and as soon as the dwarf's movements became less frantic he started walking back to the fires with the mead in hand without so much as a look back at Balin.

Ori stopped next to Dwalin and looked down at the…Ori turned to Dwalin sharply.

"You…made this for me?" Ori asked quietly reaching out a finger to run along the main section of metal.

"I made it for us," Dwalin corrected. "Or do you not remember the evenings when we would watch the stars together?"

"Of course," Ori said with a blush. "I didn't mean."

Dwalin smiled and pulled Ori into a kiss. "I made it for you and for us."

Ori beamed and kissed him again. "So we present it, then eat and then I can drag you back to our room?"

"We shall drag one another," Dwalin corrected and then stepped back. "Your Majesty."

/ / / \ \ \

"Friends and family of Dwalin and Ori," Thorin said loudly enough to draw everyone's attention to him. "Those who remain within this chamber are those closest to our newly bonded pair, whether family or friend each one of us here tonight holds in their heart the best wishes that any dwarf knows, for a long life full of riches and laughter."

"Dwalin and Ori," came the great cheer from the crowd as they raised their large cups of mead into the air.

"Every pair who is bonded is asked to create an object that shall carry them through this bonded life and onto the next one together. Dwalin and Ori have worked in this chamber, in the presence of family and friend alike to use their skills to create something that is unique to them and special for having been smelted and reshaped in this room with these dwarves."

Thorin could remember listening to dozens of bonding ceremonies in this chamber before the fall of Erebor and each one had contained the same words and yet they were all important and he was glad that the first to be held here since it had been reclaimed was his ceremony with Bilbo and that it was followed so closely by Dwalin who had been a friend and trusted companion for many long years.

"Dwalin and Ori," Thorin said turning to them. "In my final act in bonding you I ask for you to step forward as one, as you shall do for the remainder of your days, and present your Creation of Bonding to all the interested parties who are here to witness your final act of bonding."

Ori smiled and Dwalin looked down at him while they stepped up next to Thorin and held the item in their hands.

Thorin frowned at the strange object; he wasn't even sure that he knew what it was. Thorin's eyes flicked up to Bilbo and found the hobbit positively beaming so obviously it was a very important thing. Thorin would ask him about it later.

"We thank you all," Ori started in the last official words of the ceremony. "For being here to witness and support our bonding, now we share with you food and drink so that everyone returns to their beds with full hearts and stomachs."

A cheer went up around the room and Thorin smiled at the happy pair knowing they wanted nothing more than to escape and return to their chambers to be alone after the two days apart. He knew they would stay because it was tradition and in the end they would have more fun than they were expecting and would not want to leave when the party was winding down.

"It is an object for viewing the stars," Thorin turned and felt the smile take over his face at Bilbo's voice. "They talked on the journey of the stars, I think it was how Dwalin began to see Ori as a dwarf he could care for."

"As I began to see you as more than a hobbit when you saved my nephew with the huge parasites."

Bilbo laughed and kissed Thorin.

/ / / \ \ \

Dwalin held Ori's hand…or perhaps it was the other way around, as they walked around their party, talking to everyone, explaining their gift, finding any opportunity to press their lips together for a quick kiss or to press into one another for a longer one.

As the mead ran out and the scraps of food were thrown into the fire Ori found he regretted saying goodnight to every dwarf that left and Dwalin clasped their arms just a little tighter than normal in goodbye.

"Take me home," Ori said finally when only their brothers remained with tired smiles.

"As is my right," Dwalin said with a smile.

They turned to return to their chambers with more than a few kisses and regular breaks for cuddling or for Ori to press Dwalin into a doorway and keep pressing until they had no choice but to pull away and rush on towards their rooms. When they finally made it Dwalin pulled Ori close after they had put their Creation of Bonding on the table before the fire.

"You are mine now," Dwalin said quietly, his voice rough.

"And you are mine," Ori said and smiled so widely it caused Dwalin's breath to catch in his chest. "I love you, Dwalin."

"I love you too," Dwalin said and pulled Ori into a kiss to prove it.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had planned one more chapter but it involved Dwalin finding an abandoned dwarfling and if I do it it will be a proper chaptered story rather than just a collection of moments like this one. We shall see.
> 
> There will be a follow up to this at some point but it will be of the adult variety so it will be posted in the adult story called Right In The Moment.


End file.
